Kansas

Two specific turkey subspecies are available in Kansas — Rios in the west, Easterns to the east, with hybrids of the two in the middle. Though admittedly, flocks don't read such posts as this, so birds of this variation might end up anywhere. In the end, they're wild, and they're turkeys. 

Over-the-counter tags offer additional appeal. As the 2023 spring turkey season approaches, Kansas offers one bearded turkey per permit, and one bearded turkey per game tag in units 1 and 2.

You'd better be in shape for a long walk to the truck with a dead gobbler in the back of your turkey vest. Birds run heavy: 22- and 23-pounders don't even raise an eyebrow here. As kill data goes, hunters took nearly 12,893 turkeys during the 2022 season. 

What’s Kansas habitat like? Expect prairie river bottoms to hill-country timber and farmland. The northeastern and north-central regions hold good flock numbers. 

Although outfitters have some land tied up, hunts are often affordable, and they make good options for the turkey hunter short on time. These guides will put you on birds.

Also, Kansas is as great a place as ever for knocking on doors and getting access. Much like Nebraska to the north, farmers here aren't enamored with seed-eating turkeys.

Finally, Kansas' Walk-In-Hunting Areas program provides private lands open to hunting across the state (more than 300,000 acres of it).

Go here for more Realtree turkey hunting.